Effects of Nickel Promotion on the Catalytic Performance of In Situ Synthesized Suspensions of Molybdenum Disulfide Nanoparticles

Abstract

The study investigates the activity of in situ synthesized suspensions of nickel-promoted molybdenum disulfide particles in the hydroconversion of crude oil vacuum residues. The catalyst suspensions were prepared in situ from water-in-oil emulsions of aqueous solutions of precursors, specifically ammonium paramolybdate and nickel nitrate. The catalytic tests were carried out in a flow-type reactor at 430°C, WHSV 1 h^–1, and 7 MPa hydrogen, with the Mo:Ni atomic ratio in the catalyst particles ranging from 1:0.022 to 1:1.43. The XRD of the toluene-insoluble solids (TIS) extracted from the hydrogenates identified sulfides such as MoS₂, Ni₃S₄, and Ni₃S₂ in the dispersed catalyst. Increasing the nickel content in the catalyst favored its hydrogenation activity, which was indicated by an enhancement in the feed conversion, an increase in the content of paraffins and naphthenes, and a decrease in the sulfur content in the distillates and TIS derived from the hydrogenates. The conversion of high-molecular-weight feed components (resins, asphaltenes, and heavy aromatics) was enhanced as a result of the nickel promotion of the dispersed MoS₂.